Report: Phillies Sign Pitcher Hernandez, Formerly Carmona

According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Phillies will sign former Indians and Rays pitcher Roberto Hernandez to a one-year deal, pending a physical.

You may remember Hernandez as the artist formerly known as Fausto Carmona. Through 2011, he played with that assumed name, which is the name he used to acquire a visa to play in the US. Hernandez was suspended by MLB for three weeks for the identity fraud.

Last season with the Rays, Hernandez struggled by posting a 4.89 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 32 appearances (24 starts). He won’t strike many batters out – just 113 in 151 innings in 2013 – but does pitch to contact and gets an abundance of ground balls. Since 2009, with starters accumulating 500 innings or more, Hernandez has recorded 54.7 percent of his outs by way of the ground ball, ninth best in the majors.

In 2007 with Cleveland, he finished fourth in AL Cy Young vote by way of a 6.2 WAR season. However, he’s only had one other season above zero on the WAR scale; 2010 at 2.5 WAR.